Myth 1: Children have to work because of poverty.
Myth 2: Poor families need children to contribute economically to their survival.
Myth 3: Children are better suited for some work than adults
Myth 4: Child labor is needed for development or economic growth
Myth 5: Child labor is a valuable part of children's early childhood education.
Myth 6: Children have the "right" to decent work.
Myth 7: Children are "cheaper"; they cost less to hire

Myth 1: Children have to work because of poverty.
Admittedly, most child laborers come from poor families. However, poverty is not the only reason children work, nor is it as central as many people think. Recent studies examining the role poverty plays in child labor have found that other factors, such as parents' low regard for the education of children, particularly girls, and failing education systems contribute equally to child labor. Too often poverty is used as an excuse for child labor. Yet, it is a myth that child labor will never be eliminated until poverty is eradicated. Conversely, poverty will never be eradicated until child laborers are redirected to schools. Child labor perpetuates poverty.

While economic development tends to reduce child labor in the long run, poverty does not necessarily induce child labor or hinder children from attending school. The picture varies. In many poor households, some children (particularly boys) are singled out to attend school. Additionally, there are states within less developed countries where child labor is not extensively practiced. For instance, Kerala State in India has virtually abolished child labor.

At the country-level, a country may be poor, yet have relatively low levels of child labor compared to higher-income countries. For example, in 2001 only 18.5 percent of children ages 10-14 years were economically active in Yemen - a low-income country - whereas in 2000, 45.3 percent of children ages 6-14 years worked in Lebanon - an upper-middle-income country. The incidence of child labor can be relatively low even at fairly low levels of national income. For example, in 1999 an estimated 15 percent of children ages 5-14 worked in Sri Lanka - a low-middle-income country.

Thus, the relationship between economic development and child labor is not necessarily linear. While economic growth facilitates the reduction of child labor, the reduction of child labor contributes to development. Thus, the connection between child labor and economic development runs both ways.

Myth 2: Poor families need children to contribute economically to their survival.
When the topic of the elimination of child labor is raised, people often immediately object saying, "How will poor families survive without the additional income of the children?" Perhaps no concern about the desire to eliminate child labor is more rampant than the perception that households, particularly those in poverty, cannot afford to lose the contribution made by their children. Household poverty is widely regarded to be the chief cause of child labor. However, this is not necessarily true. As myth #1 indicates, other factors may be at work as well. Initially, some families have difficulty coping without the wages of their children. However, removing children from work may not present as much of a problem as initially perceived. Redirecting child laborers to school is better for families in the long run than letting them continue to work.

Regrettably, there is little systematic evidence regarding the economic value of child labor. Income from children typically accounts for some 10-40 percent of household income, which might be critical when household income is so low that it is spent mostly on food. In its 2003 Economic Study of the Costs and Benefits of Eliminating Child Labor, ILO-IPEC assumes that a child worker's contribution to household income is 20 percent of an adult's contribution. While child labor may increase household-income and contribute to its survival in the short run, it tends to have the opposite effect for future generations.

Myth 3: Children are better suited for some work than adults; they provide irreplaceable skills (for example, nimble fingers and dexterity)
Historically, it has been believed that children are better suited for some kinds of work than adults. This is commonly used as an excuse for using child labor in the carpet weaving industry, e.g., children's "nimble fingers" make it possible for them to tie smaller and tighter knots. Yet, evidence negates the idea that children make better workers than adults because they are endowed with special attributes that are superior to adults for particular work. Research carried out by the International Labor Organization has proved that this claim is often indefensible. The "nimble fingers" argument is entirely wrong in several hazardous industries, including carpet-making, glass manufacturing, mining, and gem polishing. Even in hand-knotting of carpets, which calls for considerable dexterity, an empirical study of over 2,000 weavers found that children were no more likely than adults to make the finest knots. Some of the best carpets, with the greatest density of small knots, are woven by adults. If a child's "nimble fingers" are not essential in such demanding work, it is difficult to imagine in which trades this claim might be valid.

Myth 4: Child labor is needed for development or economic growth
There is no evidence to support the theory that children must work for a thriving industry until economic growth and technological advancements replace them. Historically, the elimination of child labor and its replacement with universal education has contributed to the economic growth of countries. Child labor reflects underinvestment in education and the future of a nation. Education is at the heart of development. Historically, the universal completion of free education of good quality has been identified as the key to economic growth. As long as 246 million children aged 5-17 are working how can they attend school? Child laborers are automatically denied their right to education. Clearly, Education for All will never be achieved if the needs of child laborers are unmet. Child labor hinders the full development of human capital. A less skilled workforce results in low productivity and income for countries.

Many studies have recognized the historical link between the reduction of child labor, the increase in school attendance, and the economic growth of industrialized countries. Both the enactment of mandatory education laws and the provision of schools have naturally helped to reduce child labor and are preconditions for rapid economic growth. Educational attainment has played an important role in the rapid economic growth of many countries in East Asia, such as Korea.

Myth 5: Child labor is a valuable part of children's early childhood education.
Millions of child laborers miss a critical time in their physical and mental development to work day and night. Primary and secondary education imparts not only the knowledge and skills children need to obtain adequate employment as adults, but also provides children with an opportunity to relate to people in social settings. Moreover, education empowers children by enabling them to gain knowledge of their basic rights and realize their potential.

Findings disprove the claim that children benefit later in life from working at a young age. Child laborers often end up draining national economies. With no to little education, they grow up to be less healthy and less productive than adult who did not work until they reached adulthood.40 Findings using data from Brazil demonstrate that entry into the workforce before age 13 years reduces adult lifetime earnings by 13-17 percent, and increases the probability of persons falling to the bottom percent of the income distribution later in life by 7-8 percent. Results suggest that policies that delay the age of entry into work may have significant positive impacts on adult incidence of poverty.

Myth 6: Children have the "right" to decent work.
Some groups advocate protecting the right of children to work and to bargain for better working conditions. However, the very concept of children working violates standards set by international conventions related to children. A child's rights are non-negotiable. All children are equally entitled to their rights without discrimination, regardless of their economic, social or biological background. Their need to work because of economic necessity, or other reasons, does not create a new children's "right" to work replacing their rights to education, play, and protection from economic exploitation. Forcing children to work for their own survival is society's refutation of their fundamental rights.

Govind, a former child laborer from Nepal and a current activist with the South Asian Coalition Against Child Servitude (SACCS) in India says, "We want a world where the same system works for all children. I have heard that some people are talking about the right of children to work. I do not understand how those people are thinking against the feelings of children. Are they ready to send their own children to work? Who gave these people the right to make children their way of business?"

Myth 7: Children are "cheaper"; they cost less to hire
The "economic" argument that it costs much less to employ children than adults collapses under close scrutiny. Children are usually paid less than adults. Yet, the International Labor Organization has found that the labor-cost savings from the use of child labor is very small: less than 5 percent compared to the final foreign retail price of bangles; and less than 5-10 percent compared to the final foreign retail price of carpets. Foreign retailers typically mark up carpets approximately 200 percent. Carpets can easily cost four times as much to the consumer as the Indian export price.

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Everybody can help make a difference every day with small choices that have big impacts. Here are some ways:

• Don’t employ children in your homes and businesses.
• Don’t buy products that have been made by child labourers.
• If you know someone who employs children, report them to the authorities.
• Any time you see something on the Global March website that interests you or informs or inspires you, send it to a friend - or five.
• Subscribe to Global March e-newsletter CLNS and learn how to become a Virtual Activist.
• Run a small campaign against exploitation of children.
• Want to volunteer? We can use any skill: from envelope stuffing to primary researching.
  

The global number of child labourers in the age group 5-17 decreased from 246 million in 2000 to 218 million in 2004, a decrease of 11 percent. The percentage of child  labourers in this age group went down from 16 per cent (1 in 6) in 2000 to 14 per cent (1 in 7 ) in 2004.

One in every eight children 5 to 17 years old - 179 million - work in the worst forms of child labor.

SOME NUMBERS:

• Slavery is officially banned internationally by all countries, yet there are more slaves than ever before. Today there are an estimated 27 million slaves worldwide: people paid no money, locked away and controlled by violence.
• An estimated 218 million children are used for labour, United Nations Childrens Fund UNICEF says.
• There are around 300,000 child soldiers involved in over 30 areas of conflict worldwide, some younger than 10 years old.

TYPES OF SLAVERY:

• BONDED LABOUR - People become bonded labourers by taking or being tricked into taking a loan for as little as the cost of medicine for a sick child. Many may never pay off the loan, which can be passed down for generations.
• FORCED LABOUR - People are illegally recruited by individuals, governments or political parties and forced to work, usually under threat of violence or other penalties.
• TRAFFICKING - The transport and/or trade of people from one area to another for the purpose of forcing them into conditions of slavery. Human trafficking ranks as the second largest criminal industry globally, second to drug smuggling, and equal with illegal weapons transactions.

SLAVERY NOW:

• The vast majority of the world's slaves are in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.
• Millions of children in India are given up by their families into virtual slavery as domestic workers.
• Despite a ban on employing children under 14, India's labour ministry recently said there are 12.6 million children aged between 5 and 14 working, the largest number of child labourers in the world.

EUROPE:

• British government research shows that during 2003 there were 4,000 victims of trafficking for prostitution in Britain.
• Romania and Bulgaria are among 11 countries listed by the United Nations as top sources of human trafficking, based on reported numbers of victims.

AFRICA:

• An estimated 200,000-800,000 people are trafficked each year in the sub-region.
• In Mauritania slavery was nominally abolished at independence in 1960 and legally banned again in 1981. Yet rights groups say it persists in the interior of the nation of 3 million inhabitants, many of them nomads.
• Anti-Slavery International has estimated at least 43,000 people live as slaves across Niger.

Sources: Reuters/Anti-Slavery International/
UNICEF/http;//freetheslaves.net

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Key Statistics

• The global number of child labourers in the age group 5-17 decreased from 246 million in 2000 to 218 million in 2004, a decrease of 11 per cent. The percentage of child  labourers in this age group went down from 16 per cent (1 in 6) in 2000 to 14 per cent (1 in 7 ) in 2004.
  
  
• The number of children aged 5-17 engaged in hazardous work has declined by 26 per cent, from 171 million in 2000 to 126 million in 2004. With 33 per cent, the decline in the age group 5-14 has even been sharper.
  
  
• Around 5 million children have benefited directly or indirectly from IPEC's work.
  
  
• Latin America and the Caribbean stand out in terms of a rapid decline of child labour. The number of children at work in the region has fallen by two-thirds over the last four years, with just 5 per cent of children ages 5-14 now engaged in work.
  
  
• With 26 per cent, or close to 50 million child workers, the proportion of children engaged in economic activities in sub-Saharan Africa is currently the highest of any region in the world.
  
  
• In the Asian-Pacific region, 122 million children ages 5-14 are engaged in work, 5 million fewer than four years ago. Less than 20 per cent of Asian children in that age group are now at work.
  
  
• In industrialized countries, about 2.5 million children under the age of 15 were at work in 2000.
  
  
• Almost 7 out of 10 working children are in the agricultural sector; whereas 22 per cent work in services and 9 per cent in industry, including mining, construction and manufacturing.
  
  
• The estimated cost of the elimination of child labour is US$760 billion over a 20-year period. The estimated benefit in terms of better education and health is over US$4 trillion. The economic benefits would therefore outweigh the costs by nearly 6 to 1, not to mention the unquantifiable social benefits to be gained.

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The Fight Against Child Labour: A Timeline

Eliminating child labour is an essential element in the ILO's goal of "Decent Work for All". The ILO tackles child labour not as an isolated issue but as an integral part of national efforts for economic and social development.

1919 The first International Labour Conference adopts the first international Convention against child labour, the Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (No. 5).

1930 Adoption of the first Forced Labour Convention (No. 29).

1973 Adoption of the Minimum Age Convention (No. 138).

1992 The ILO establishes the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

1996 Stockholm Declaration and Agenda for Action: The elaboration of the principle that a crime against a child in one place is a crime anywhere. The ILO codifies this into an international standard by developing a convention three years later which spells out the role of enforcement and penalties.

1998 Origin of Global March Against Child Labour

1998 Adoption of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work: Freedom of  association, abolition of forced labour, end of discrimination in the workplace and elimination of child labour. All ILO member States pledge to uphold and promote these principles.

1999 Adoption of the ILO's Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No. 182). Focused world attention on the need to take immediate action to eradicate those forms of child labour that are hazardous and damaging to children's physical, mental or moral wellbeing. Convention 182 has been ratified by 9 out of 10 ILO member States while Convention 138 has been ratified by 4 out of 5 ILO Member States.

2001 The first Time Bound Programmes on the implementation of Convention 182 and 138 are launched by three countries. Over 20 countries are currently implementing time bound programmes with ILO support.

2002 The ILO publishes its first Global Report on Child Labour and establishes 12 June as World Day Against Child Labour. The Organization supports more than 80 countries in formulating their own programmes to combat child labour.

2004 First ILO global study on the costs and benefits of eliminating child labour says that economic benefits would outweigh costs by nearly 6 to 1.

2006 The ILO's second Global Report on Child Labour on child labour says that child labour is declining worldwide.

For more information on the ILO’s International Programme to Eliminate Child Labour (IPEC), please visit www.ilo.org/ipec or for information on child labour visit www.ilo.org/declaration